After being closed due to Hurricane Milton, Loyce E. Harpe Park is reopening with limited weekend hours and select open facilities. Starting January 4, residents can enjoy the park on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
According to WFLA News, the park's offerings will include the always lively dog park, where canines can cavort without a care, a skate park that's sure to attract boarders eager to test their kickflips and grinds, plus mountain bike trails, fishing areas, and athletic fields for those looking to either break a sweat or just muse by the water with a rod in hand. But before you plan your weekday picnic, be warned that the park will keep its gates firmly closed Monday through Friday as trucks continue transforming the park into a bustling thoroughfare, trafficking debris in the ongoing post-Milton cleanup.
For those needing a refresher on where to find this outdoor haven, Loyce E. Harpe Park is nestled at 500 W. Carter Road in Mulberry, a detail noted by Polk County Parks and Recreation. Should eagle-eyed readers or concerned citizens have any queries, the parks department's line is open at (863) 534-6911, waiting to tackle any questions about the park's facilities or its phased reopening schedule.
The weekend-only model isn't just a random pick; it's a calculated move, as the park is still serving as a debris management site, heavy with the comings and goings of vehicles that warrant weekday caution, "the park at 500 W. Carter Road has been closed since Hurricane Milton in October; there is heavy truck traffic there because it is still being used to process storm debris," locates the heart of the matter per LkldNow.
